Hi All, I've sent a few pictures to Robbie for MMD Archive of
a David Moore player piano. The David Moore company in Hartford,
Arkansas, is not listed in the Pierce Piano Atlas. What's interesting
about the player mechanism is how the bass and treble soft rails (or rail)
is activated. Also, the piano action is very unfamiliar to me.

If you can shed any light on this instrument, please contact me or post
the information to the MMDigest. I have entered the name in the "Makers"
listing at Player-Care.com : http://www.player-care.com/makers.html

Hi All, The question about the player action in the David Moore
piano has been, I believe, answered conclusively. Today I received
more information from the owner, which led me to the Google Patent Search
web page: http://www.google.com/googlepatents/about.html

There I was able to find all of the patent numbers that were listed
on a paper/cardboard label that is mounted to the left of the spoolbox
on the deck board. (I've sent all of the drawings to the owner and
to Robbie for the MMD Archive.)

The stack, tempo indicator, sliding foot pedal door assembly, transmission,
and the keylock assembly were all invented by "William G Betz, of Steger,
Illinois, Assignor to Steger & Sons Piano Manufacturing Company, of
Chicago, Illinois, a Corporation of Illinois". The latest patent
date is for the transmission. The patent was filed on February 18,
1910 and granted on August 29, 1911.

Lastly, this adventure led me to the thought that it is well within
the realm of reason that it is possible to provide both pictures and explanations
of the player mechanisms about which there is little or no information.
In a sense, a sort of service manual can be created with the information
in the patents, as long as I can get the applicable patent numbers.
As time permits, I will be asking the MMD readers for the patent numbers
found on certain makes of player mechanisms about which I have been unable
to find any information.

I do hope that we'll finally be able to add some totally new information
to the database of existing information so that future generations will
be able to find it quickly.